John Dallat and his wife at the Foyle Arena count centre. Pic by Donal Dunn/NorthWest News Pix
EAST Derry MLA John Dallat has taken to social media to thank all who helped get him elected in the constituency.
The veteran SDLP man had thrown in the towel earlier last night fearing he was not going to elected.
But the Proportional Representation voting system can throw up surprises and at the death it was a dog fight for the last seat between him and Sinn Fein’s Cathal O’Hoisin, with Dallat the eventual winner.
Said Mr Dallat: “My deepest gratitude to everyone who made my election possible – to my election agent Brenda Stevenson and my election directorate and election team and especially to my family who supported me through a very difficult time.
“I thank those who voted for me and gave me preferences.
“Preferences came across the political spectrum in big numbers.
“I pledge myself to work for everyone as I have done in the past.
“I thank my party leader Colum Eastwood and our party chairman Ronan McCay who have stood by me at a time when I felt hurt but never angry and never seeking revenge or anything like that.”
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